In a tragic turn of events on a Thursday morning in Ridgeland, South Carolina, a 55-year-old man named Curtis Edward Scott was fatally shot. The incident unfolded at Jay's Barber Shop on Main Street when Scott, wearing a ski mask and wielding a machete, entered the establishment through the back door around 10:30 a.m. Witnesses reported that upon entering, Scott declared, “You know what this is,” as he brandished the weapon.
The barbershop had customers inside at the time, and in
what authorities have described as an act of self-defense, a barber drew his own firearm and shot Scott. Wounded, Scott fled the barbershop but collapsed next to his vehicle parked behind the building and was pronounced dead at the scene. Another masked individual who had entered with Scott reportedly fled before police arrived, and investigators are still working to identify this person.
In the aftermath of his death, Scott's family came forward to offer a more nuanced picture of the man, revealing his long-standing battle with mental illness. They disclosed that Scott lived with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and believe he was not on his medication at the time of the incident, asserting that he was not in his right frame of mind. His family expressed their belief that he was not a criminal and had been coerced into the attempted robbery by others who took advantage of his condition. They extended their apologies to the barber and the community, hoping that this tragedy would spur more significant conversations around mental health. Scott was remembered by his family as a father, brother, and son who loved the outdoors, animals, and painting.
